The present invention relates to a tread design for a pneumatic tire of radial construction for high-speed vehicles, with the tire having a height-to-width ratio of .ltoreq.0.6. These vehicle tires have a belt-reinforced tread portion with a tread design that is tied to the direction of rotation and comprises profiled elements that are disposed in the circumferential direction at a steep angle to the equatorial plane of the tire and are arranged in the shape of V's. The profiled elements extend from a common, centrally disposed circumferential groove into shoulder regions of the tire, with the profiled elements being angled-off at a bend region in a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of the tire. Steeply oriented inclined grooves that are angled-off in the shoulder regions and that end in the circumferential groove are formed between the profiled elements.
A tread design of this general type is known from U.S. Pat. 4,687,037, Hans-Dieter Pfeiffer et al, where the profiled elements are disposed in the shape of V's, and where a wide central groove is provided between the profiled elements. With wide tires of the aforementioned height-to-width ratio, an effective drainage and a high resistance to aquaplaning should also be ensured at high speeds. Furthermore, to provide favorable low wear in the central and shoulder regions, the tread design should have a favorable positive tread portion that additionally ensures that the tire noise can be maintained at a tolerably low level.
With regard to the discharge configuration of the inclined grooves, and the configuration of the starting region of the profiled element ribs, the heretofore known tread design is susceptible of being improved in order to provide more favorable inflow and discharge conditions in the inclined grooves and to increase the stability of the profiled elements in the central portion of the tread, all without adversely affecting the effective drainage of the tread design.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tread design of the aforementioned general type where the profiled elements are oriented in the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the central circumferential groove, whereby only as they extend further are these profiled elements disposed at an angle to the equatorial plane of the tire, whereby at the bend region the profiled elements are angled-off in a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of the tire.